The World Of Men
by Natzapo
Summary: Story idea I had over the summer. Group of children, each possesing the power of an element, must strive to save the world from the encroaching darkness.
1. Prologue: A Stormy Night

Prologue: 

A Stormy Night

It all began on a stormy autumn night. Yes. I know, you think You know exactly what's going on, after all, You've heard this a thousand times. I promise, this isn't one of those Cookie cutter horror stories, it isn't even really a horror story at all. So, where was I?  
Oh, yes, dark stormy night, and all was not well in the world of men.  
You See, throughout the history of man there have been a surprising number of highly disturbed individuals: Jack the Ripper, Hitler,  
Stalin, (I need to look up some more appropriate names), and now,  
someone was plotting to bring them back. Now who would want to do such a thing, and why, is a question you'll have to answer for yourself,  
but now our story begins, on a dark and stormy night, in the home of our unlikely hero.


	2. Chapter 1: The Storm Before the Calm

Chapter 1: 

The Storm Before the Calm

It was nine thirty at night, on October the twenty-seventh, and Allos was scared. It bothered him that he was frightened of such an unimportant thing as a storm, for even at the age of nine he felt he should be prepared for the responsibilities of a grown man in his village, and grown men were not afraid of storms. So Allos resolved to prove to himself that he wasn't afraid by going outside and facing whatever demons strode about on the earthly plain so boldly as to cause a storm of these proportions.

Allos was orphaned at the age of seven, and as such he had no parents who could stop him from doing something so rash. He didn't worry about any of the villagers, as though any of them would be out on a night like tonight, for he was considered an oddity, both because of his unlikely survival as an orphan, as well as because of the unusual and often startling powers he sometimes displayed.

With nothing other than fear to bar his way Allos was determined to prevail. He shouldered both his quiver and bow, and tied the sheath containing his long knife to his tattered leather belt. Allos glanced around the tent which had long served as his only home, suddenly overcome with the feeling that he would never see it again.

Sophia Delante curled in her safe bed, fearful of the storm that assailed the city of New Haven. For a moment she considered the possibility of sneaking down the hall of their suite to her father's room. Pointless, she remembered, as her father was out of town all week on yet another diplomatic mission.

She had grown used to her father's absence, though it still troubled her at times. Bravely, In her opinion, she made the decision to look her fears in the face. She crept out of bed, cautiously approaching the large bay window. Pausing for a moment she took a deep breath to gather her courage. Quickly she drew back the heavy velvet curtains and, prepared for the worst, she clenched her eyes shut. After a moment, when nothing horrible had happened, curiosity got the better of her and she slowly opened her eyes.

At first, as she looked down onto the street, all seemed as it should but as her gaze rose to the storm itself any illusion of normality deserted her. For, beyond the aurora borealis of the shields protecting the city, the storm itself glowed with an unearthly, evil red light. Startled Sophia leaned closer to the glass to be certain the storm's appearance wasn't just a trick of the light. Then,  
suddenly she saw a face searching in the clouds. She felt certain that, whatever it was, while the face was not seeking her, it wouldn't treat her kindly if it saw her. Terrified, she leapt into bed and did not sleep for a long time. When sleep did finally take her, she dreamt of Allos.

Allos stepped outside his tent and was immediately hit by the full force of the storm. Grimacing he braced himself against the storm's terrible strength. Looking around he found inside himself a new respect for the storm, which enshrouded the nearby mountain's peak with a demonic red glow.

Suddenly Allos felt as though he was being watched. Clearing his mind he sensed two separate presences watching him; one seemed to be hunting for him, while the other appeared hardly aware of his existence. Shaken by these all too familiar feelings Allos set out to see just what could be causing the glow which seemed almost to emit from the mountain's summit.

As Allos made his way along a game trail which led to the base of the mountain he noticed two things; first, he was relieved to note that the feeling of being watched lessened a bit now that he had a task to focus on. He then noticed that the woods around him, which, just moments before, had held a preternatural silence, now filled with the sounds of a large group of animals heading straight towards him.

Allos ran for the nearest tree and pulled himself up into it's lower branches. Not a moment later a stampede containing animals of all sorts, the prey and predators seemingly unaware of one another, making a mad dash for freedom apparently fleeing the mountain.

For a moment Allos nearly took the stampede as a sign that it might have been a better idea to turn around and weather the storm out at home. He quickly shook such thoughts off, and soon found himself at the foot of the mountain itself. No sooner had he rounded the first bend in the trail than he felt himself overcome by a sudden wave of disiness. Allos only had time to realize how lucky he was to have made a soft landing before he slipped into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 2: Dream Crossing

Chapter 2:

Dream Crossing

Markus hated these sorts of dreams. He always woke up feeling disturbed, as though the things he dreamed of were real. He knew he shouldn't let dreams get the better of him so he did his best to ignore them.

Marcus glanced around, taking in his surroundings, and found himself apparently on some sort of trail leading up a mountain. That was when the boy came around the corner. He was dressed, as usual, in his strange tribal clothes which Markus knew were common among the villages of the highlands.

Markus groaned inwardly as he recognized the boy as Allos, who was often involved in his worst dreams. Though Allos was never of an evil persuasion in Markus' dreams he still was occasionally frightened by power Allos wielded. Markus felt for him as well, for in his dreams Allos often fought against a great evil near the summit of a mountain with three friends at his side.

Suddenly, Markus realized that Allos was not yet ready for this fight. Surely he couldn't intend to take on this evil force without his friends at with him. Markus took a closer look at Allos, who never seemed to notice him, and realized that he was younger, softer than Markus had ever seen him before. Where were the strange markings on his face now?

Marcus knew beyond a doubt that Allos was not ready for what faced him. So he did the only thing he could think of, something he had never done before, he quickly stepped forward into Allos' body. Allos paused for a moment, seemingly overcome by dissiness, and promptly fell over.

Allos groaned as he picked himself up from the rocky trail. As he looked down he realized, with shock, that his body had apparently decided not to join him. Glancing down on himself, through himself really, he was so perplexed that it took him several long moments to notice the boy standing a few feet ahead of him.

"Who are you? Did you do this to me? What's going on?" Allos asked Marcus, a hint of panic edging his voice.

"I'm Markus and you're Allos, I often dream of you, though I never suspected you were real." Marcus replied. Then, rather sheepishly, "I guess I did kinda knock you out ... I'm sorry, but you've gotta listen to me, there's something bad at the top of that mountain.

"Thanks for the update, but I was on my way to kill it, Thank you very much!" Allos replied sarcastically.

"If you know what's up there then why are you trying to face it alone? Where are your friends?"

"I haven't a clue what's up there, but its disturbing my sleep. And as for friends I don't got any ... Don't need any" Allos responded,  
this time bordering on contempt.

"I'm sorry Allos, something's waking me up. I'll be gone in a moment.  
Once you decide to believe me head for New Haven, there's another of us there. I'll try to find you there as well." Markus said swiftly,  
desperate this time, as he began to fade.

"What are you talking about? Another of us ... What us? Give me some answers here Markus!" Allos continued with a growing sense of desperation as well.

Markus was gone before the words had left Allos' mouth. A few moments later everything went black, like the snuffing of a candle, and Allos returned to his usual dreamless state of sleep, not to awaken till morning. 


	4. Chapter 3: The Aftermath

Chapter 3:

The Aftermath

There can be a great deal of space between being awake or being asleep, and Sophia currently found it quite pleasant to drift between the two. That was, of course, before some idiot decided to bang on her door as though the world were about to end. Growling, she wondered who would be so insistent she wake up, and why.

Mumbling about strangers bothering her this early in the morning on Sunday of all days, Sophia drug herself out of her bed, threw her house robe over her pajamas, and opened her bedroom doors.

"Sophia, my sweet, what are you doing abed at this hour? On such a fine morning too. Well fine I suppose, except for the damage caused by that atrocious storm last night, which is obviously why I've returned so early. We can't have it being said that the council members weren't there when New Haven needed them, can we?" Bellowed the tall, broad man in a most presumptuous manner.

"What?" Sophia muttered, her tired mind needing a moment to recognize the man as her father. "You're home early ... Wait, what damages?"

Her father took a moment to grimace at her ignorance before answering, "Sophia, my dear, you really should have noticed. Last night's storm shattered the cities shields and shattered the monument to Pathos. I can't believe you didn't hear the sound of it, quite horrible I've been told, you really do sleep like the dead."

"What? The city's shields are destroyed; has that ever happened before? The monument is one thing ... It could always be rebuilt, but where do we even start with the shield?" Sophia wondered aloud, worry edging her voice.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Darling. The council is going to take care of everything. Now, I've arranged for you to spend the next week or so at the villa del mar with Charlotte's family. How does that sound?" He asked, almost managing to hide that it was truly an order made out of concern for her.

Sophia's spirits immediately heightened at the prospect of visiting her dearest friend at the Council's estate by the sea. "Well father,  
I'm glad you're clever enough that you at least made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Of course I'm going, when do I leave?"

Markus awoke to the mining station's steam whistle, as he always did,  
but this morning he simply lay there for a moment, trying to make sense of the occurrences of the previous night. After a moment he brushed his questions away with a shrug, worrying wouldn't do him any good. He would live his life as he must, as he always had, but now he would keep an eye out for Allos.

Markus knew he would see Allos again. Until then, all he could really do is wait, yet he somehow knew he wouldn't be waiting long.

Just after dawn Allos found himself, sopping wet, in the middle of the trail. For a moment he wondered if he had fallen or ... had something happened? Yes, now he remembered, he had fallen unconscious and that strange kid in miner's dress had appeared out of nowhere and warned him not to go up the mountain.

"Well, I'll be danged if I'm gonna listen to whatever load of crap he gave me." Allos said to himself as he returned to his climb with renewed vigor.

An hour later, as Allos rounded the bend onto the final stretch to the summit, Allos was less sure of himself. He began to entertain the possibility that the whole affair had been nothing more than a strange dream; but then why had he awoken partway up the mountain? No, Allos was convinced the storm was real, if for no other reason than that he usually didn't dream.

So it was that Allos, confused and feeling the first stirrings of fear, crested the last rise to the summit and was struck one of the worst blows of his life. There, in the valley before him, Allos saw the smoldering ruins of the village which was his home. Shocked as well as stunned Allos possesed no sense of what he was doing until he found himself on the outskirts of the village.

Allos wondered through his home, marveling at the destruction, for at least an hour before remembering the warning he had received the night before. He considered the events of the night for a moment, glanced around himself, and began to collect supplies. After all, what choice did he really have? 


End file.
